RALEIGH, NC (AP) -- Democrats in the North Carolina Legislature are offering alternative maps that redraw election district boundaries for themselves and the state's congressional representatives to counter Republican plans still likely to be approved this week.

Senate Democrats and the chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus introduced three bills Monday prior to General Assembly floor sessions later in the day in which Republican-written maps will be debated and voted upon. House Democrats also will offer alternatives.

Democrats say GOP boundaries are illegal because they put too many black voters in certain districts to reduce their overall influence, cross too many county lines and split too many voting precincts.

A Democratic plan would have only one Senate district with a black voting-age population above 50 percent. The Republican plan has nine such districts.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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